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What I have been taught as well by several places. 1st gear. Maybe when you can afford to be less attentive, into neutral for a moment after traffic has stopped behind. Still the standard is 1st gear and right foot on the ground. Left foot up on the peg.

Really? I keep left foot on ground, right foot on rear brake. That leaves the throttle hand free from brake duty and ready for take off.

something tells me there is no 100% better way to do any of this... much of what MSF teaches is based on lawyers and lawsuit prevention.... the fact is, if you're a good rider, you can take off and get out of harms way just as fast with the left foot down and with the right... and I'd argue the 1st gear ALWAYS answer is one of those "least common denominator" answers just to keep it simple for those on the margin of skill... truth is, I want to ride with people with the skill and intellect to use context and prior experience to determine what configuration their going to be in at varying intersections and stops.

I got yelled at in a class for putting my right foot down when stopped. Teach said it should be on brake. It was a hard habit to break.

Another thing taught at the BRC: as you come to a stop, your left foot reaches down to the pavement. This teaches you to use both brakes as you stop. It also allows you to hold position on a steep uphill grade at a light, using your right foot on the rear brake.

Another thing taught at the BRC: as you come to a stop, your left foot reaches down to the pavement. This teaches you to use both brakes as you stop. It also allows you to hold position on a steep uphill grade at a light, using your right foot on the rear brake.

Harry

Yes I should have said while stopping, because that is what he was looking at.

something tells me there is no 100% better way to do any of this... much of what MSF teaches is based on lawyers and lawsuit prevention.... the fact is, if you're a good rider, you can take off and get out of harms way just as fast with the left foot down and with the right... and I'd argue the 1st gear ALWAYS answer is one of those "least common denominator" answers just to keep it simple for those on the margin of skill... truth is, I want to ride with people with the skill and intellect to use context and prior experience to determine what configuration their going to be in at varying intersections and stops.

Knowing safe riding technique will improve your safety no matter what your skill and intellect. I've been riding for 40 years, both dirt and street, and I'm still learning. There are better reasons than lawsuits for the safety skills we are discussing here. For example, if you are stopped on an incline, you improve your chance of a quick take off in an emergency if your right foot is on the rear brake instead of using your throttle hand on the front brake because there is no delay in letting go of the front brake and twisting the throttle. Furthermore it pays to develop safe riding habits that become automatic so you don't have to think though each situation. Do I *always* using my right foot on the brake at stops? No, but it is the exception when I don't.

It was explained to me in basically these words both times. Thus this is what I was taught, not the only right way in the universe, just what I was taught by some professionals

Left foot stays up, right foot goes down. (if both go down you might be tempted to walk the bike as you start, or drag your feet before putting them up on pegs) You stop, can finish the last inches of braking with hand lever. You are shiftting all the while down so you are for sure in 1st if you weren't when you stopped. One foot down is enough if you have learned to control the bike. If you need to lift visor etc, typically you use your left hand. Thus you must release the clutch. Thus if you stopped and put your left foot down, bike in gear, you must now switch feet, move the bike to neutral, do the visor, put the bike back in gear, switch feet again, and if you put your visor back down before you start moving, again you must repeat the drill. If you screwed up your downshifts, you still have the left foot available to get that straightened out without having to do the rocking dance.

Thus the recommendation for me to try was.
Down shift before you get stopped, Stop with clutch in, bike in gear, two finger on hand lever, two and thumb on throttle, right foot goes down. Bike stays in gear at minimum till you are sure traffic has stopped behind you. If you need to raise visor, slip into neutral, feet remain configured with no real change, raise the visor, hand back on clutch, slip into first. Repeat that if putting the visor back down. Pull off by easing off brake, slip clutch, give throttle, raise foot.

By having your right foot down, you are avoiding all the shifting back and forth. It is cleaner, more streamlined and overall more in control of bike.

I have tried it and it does make for a good practice to follow. If I need a brake at a stop, I will cover the hand lever with 1 or 2 fingers. So my right foot is aways down with the exception of I will drop my left foot sometimes when a stiff breeze is blowing right to left when stopped. Still even with that I usually just lean a bit more to the right.

As for when parked. I typically park with rear of bike on the down slope. For that I leave it in neutral. If there is any slope forward, I do put it in first, and roll it forward to take out the gear slack and then put it on the side stand. If the hill is steep towards the rear, I put it in 1st. If I am using the center stand, I always have it in neutral.

Hey, being used to having only right foot down all the time makes it also more streamlined for slipping the side stand down.

I think that safety, like for pilots, is doing it the same way all the time, and following a checklist or procedure. Right foot on the rear brake, in gear, is in my opinion the best way to be prepared (with exit space in front).

Sure, if a car stops behind me, I might pop it in neutral and adjust my gear or tighten my helmet or whatever, but otherwise, 1st gear left foot down is the way to go.

It was explained to me in basically these words both times. Thus this is what I was taught, not the only right way in the universe, just what I was taught by some professionals

Left foot stays up, right foot goes down.

Taught by whom? I was taught by professional MSF instructors.

As you stop, your right foot is applying the brake. Your left foot is downshifting to first just before you come to a full stop, and reaches down to the pavement. That's the way the MSF teaches it, and I'll trust their advice over someone else's.

The other day, I was behind a guy (interestingly in a BMW R1200RT) that when he came to a stop, he was tip toe on both feet... COULDN'T flat foot the bike on both feet, much less one... where does he stand as a safe cyclist?

Most of the time I just keep it in gear, unless I'm at tied up in traffic (with everyone stopped behind me) at a big intersection with long light delays. Then neutral until my lane begins to move again.

I never worry about my clutch cable snapping, my shop installed a new clutch cable recently when they filled up my R1100S's turn signal fluid.